


Happily Ever After

by echoflowertea



Series: Living [22]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Polyamory, Reader Is Not Frisk, fat reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-23 01:56:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7462038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/echoflowertea/pseuds/echoflowertea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alphys and Undyne are getting married, and you're looking forward to the celebration. It doesn't hurt that you've got two dates, so that should mean double the fun. Right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Happily

**Author's Note:**

> i update this series **tuesdays and fridays**!
> 
> want to bug me? come message me on [tumblr](http://echoflowertea.tumblr.com)!

“Oh my god.”

“Pretty GREAT, right???” Undyne spread her arms out just enough that she could slap both fists on her hips, beaming at you as wide as she could. It was a little unsettling how much teeth she could show when her lips curled backwards. “We’ve got it for the whole WEEKEND!!!”

“And Mettaton really let you use it for free?”

You ran your hand along the side of the bus, marveling at the custom paintjob. It was his, alright. Between the glitter and neon colors zipping along the curvature, it was obvious who it belonged to. You didn’t even want to talk about the massive portrait of him and his band on the other side, all done with enough flash to draw the attention of every driver within a half-mile radius and cause a major traffic accident.

“Fufufufu! Of COURSE he did. I thought I could ‘persuade’ him, but he gave it up right away! That and the other one he uses for his equipment.” She thumbed to the other side of the street. You hadn’t even noticed the second bus, only because it was pretty plain in comparison to this one. “Alphys said that he was more than happy, but I think it was just because it’s like free advertising.”

“True.” You stepped backwards and gave a nod of approval. “This is gonna be perfect! It’s big enough for all of us to take down there.”

“You’ve got that right, punk!” You and Undyne headed back toward her house, an added bounce to her step. “Everything’s good to go. You ready?”

“I think that’s something I should be asking you,” you snorted. “This is your big day, after all.”

“Feh…” She took a brief moment where she lost her cool and the faintest of blushes swept across her face. It was soon replaced with sheer passion. “I’m gonna make sure EVERYTHING goes according to plan! We’ve got the dresswear! The cake! The venue! And everyone we want there is gonna be there! All it takes is one tiny little day trip and we’ve got things settled!!!”

“Forever.”

“YEAH!” She didn’t seem bothered by that in the slightest. It made you happy knowing that she passed that little test. Absolutely no hesitation in accepting that she and her fiancé would be together for the rest of their lives.

All of your suitcases were packed, garment bags currently being loaded in the back of the bus. The house was cleaned out with all of the necessities for the big day, save for some last minute scrambling from Alphys as she tried to get her life sorted out. Papyrus helped her with moving nearly everything she needed into the tour bus, whereas Sans just snoozed on inside, clearly done with the idea of all the excitement of your upcoming road trip.

Six hours. Together. Trapped on the highway with little to no entertainment but the TV screens that only played Mettaton’s performances on repeat. Joy of joys. You were just glad that you’d packed your laptop with you so you could watch a movie or something.

“Hey, before we get going, I…need YOUR advice.” Undyne beckoned for you to follow her to her room.

Alphys was downstairs talking with one of the friends she invited from the university. They seemed really engaged in putting the exact coordinates into their phone, which drew a smile from you. It was nice to see people from her work so invested in this celebration. She was a lot more popular than she thought. People liked that she was so unafraid to be herself and talk about what she liked. Or loved, when Undyne was involved.

“What’s up?”

She didn’t look so hot, actually. She slammed the door shut and lingered there, both palms glued to the space near the hinges and handle.

“Um, Undyne…?”

“Listen, punk. I want this to go perfectly. And I know you’re gonna do whatever it takes to make sure Alphys has a good time, but…” She deflated. “I need you…to make me a PROMISE.”

You weren’t sure you liked the sound of this. “Depends on the promise.”

“NO WAY. If you’re my friend, you’d do this for me without asking what it is!!! That’s what loyalty is all about, right?! I never questioned you that time when you set up a hangout and then BAILED on the two of us! Because I knew you had a good reason!!! Then later on I found out you FAKED the whole sickness thing just so the both of us could have ALONE time! And then we had our FIRST KISS!”

You scoffed. “Okay, you got me. I forced you two together and it turned out well.”

“EXACTLY. So…do me this favor, okay? As a friend!!!”

She was really putting a lot of emphasis on this. “Fine, I promise I’ll help you out. Now what do you need?”

“I…want to make sure that Alphys…is ready.”

“Um, pretty sure she’s getting there. I’ve convinced her not to take that giant dakimakura that she has of that anime character. I said it would ruin the mood on your guys’ honeymoon.”

“No, not that…” She closed her eye and thought deeply. “Look. This is a BIG deal. Most monsters don’t go through the trouble of getting married. Not anymore. When humans and monsters lived on the surface, it was commonplace because we were trying to ADAPT. To learn more about human culture and coexist. But ever since being Underground, it’s not….necessary, you know? We just do SOUL stuff with each other and it’s accepted that it’s like a marriage. This whole thing…I just want to know if Alphys REALLY wants this, or if she’s pretending to because she thinks I DO.”

Oh god. This was not the kind of conversation you needed to have the day before their wedding. Why did she wait this long?!

“Undyne–”

“WAIT! I know what you’re gonna say! And I…look, I know Alphys better than anyone, even YOU! It’s…it means a lot if this goes according to plan, but it doesn’t mean anything if she doesn’t care and I’m the one that forced her!”

“Why didn’t you just ask her this?”

“B-because it’s EMBARRASSING? You humans can be so dense sometimes!!!” She slapped you on the back and you nearly toppled over. “Marriage is a big thing for humans, but even BIGGER for us monsters! It shows that…not only are we ready to be bonded for life…but that we want EVERYONE to know it! Before it would just be friends and family, but this is going to be…”

You didn’t like where this was going. “Wait a second. Exactly how many people are coming to this wedding?”

“…about five hundred.”

“FIVE HUNDRED? UNDYNE!!!”

“What??? That’s NORMAL! Actually, a lot of people COULDN’T be there so we’re having it a livefeed on one of Mettaton’s news stations!!!”

You were going to pass out. You didn’t sign up for this. No wonder she was worried about Alphys chickening out. Since when did the two of them deal with large crowds like this?

An even better question: HOW did you not know about this when you were planning it? You were the one that helped Toriel pick out where it was going to be and send out the invitations!

Huh…the more you thought about it, the more it made sense. You were getting tons of offers from monsters willing to pitch in and bring something to eat, and Toriel had to craft some ridiculous story just to get Jerry out of the country so he wouldn’t be able to make it. Not to mention that she bought a fancy printer that shot out hundreds of invitations that you spent hours signing…you actually got several hand cramps and couldn’t hold a pencil for a week afterwards…

“Okay, okay. So I’ll go talk to her.”

“F-fine! Yeah! It’ll be GREAT!” Undyne didn’t look very convinced. “Just…be SNEAKY about it, okay?! There’s no way you can outsmart her, so maybe some kind of distraction?”

You were going to attribute her rudeness to wedding day jitters and let it slide. For now. “Ugh, alright. I’ll be back.”

You left the room and Undyne shouted something about you handling this delicately. You could hear Alphys’s voice at the end of the hall, but the path to her was blocked.

“Paps! Are you done?”

He turned to you with a grin. “YES! FINALLY, WE ARE READY TO DEPART. I HAVE SEVERAL THINGS TO KEEP ME BUSY, INCLUDING A COLORING BOOK AND PENCILS. WILL YOU HELP ME WITH IT? SOME OF THE PAGES ARE QUITE INTRICATE.”

He held up the book for emphasis. Nice. “Oooh, count me in.”

“SPLENDID. I AM CALLING DIBS ON THE CHAIR I WANT. I WILL MEET YOU INSIDE THE BUS! YOU ARE SITTING NEXT TO ME AND DON’T LET ANYONE TALK YOU INTO ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY!”

He dashed off, his scarf trailing behind him in a red stream. Dork.

“Yo, Aly!”

She glanced up from her in-depth conversation and beamed at you. “J-Just the person I wanted to see! I wanted you to meet my co-worker. Um, this is Eva. Sh-she and I have been working tirelessly at the university for the past year or so. I think you saw her once at fundraiser we held? A-anyway, she said she was hoping you’d be here.”

Alphys looked smug at that. You wondered why.

“Nice to meet you, Eva. Hopefully I’ll remember you this time.”

She laughed into her hand, but didn’t say anything. It was a little unnerving how she regarded you. Something glinted in her eyes, all three of them. You found yourself glancing away just to break the direct contact between you, Alphys shifting her stance.

“A-anyway, she’ll be riding with us on the bus. And um…did you need me for something?”

“Yeah, I needed to talk with you in private. Excuse us.”

You led her away from the sharp stare of the other monster, a strange chill crawling down your spine. She was so hyperfocused on you that it was hard to think straight.

You managed to get a moment to yourselves in the guest bedroom. Alphys hopped up on the bed without a thought, the glow to her cheeks a telltale sign of what she really felt. You honestly didn’t notice anything out of the norm with her, but if Undyne had her suspicions, you would address them. It was the least you could do.

With a sigh, you ambled over to where she was and sank down on the comforter, locking your knees together and leaning backwards on your hands.

“So, Undyne thinks that you don’t really want to get married.”

No use in beating around the bush. Her fiancée wanted you to be subtle, but you weren’t going to go through this much unnecessary drama. Not when you had so many things to figure out if she decided that she wanted to call this whole thing off.

Alphys froze for a moment, then smiled at you weakly. “W-why would she think that?”

“I’m not sure, honestly. She said that you…might have just played along with the idea because you think it’s what she wants? She kind of went on a long-winded rant, but it was hard to understand what she was getting at when she kept throwing insults at me.”

She groaned and buried her face in her hands, shoulders shaking. “O-of course I want this! I was the one that proposed!”

“Yeah, but she doesn’t want you to feel pressured.”

“S-she should have told me. I…I know that I’m not really the most exciting person. Crowds give me stomachaches and I can’t stand it when I go somewhere new. I like routine. B-but all of this…it’s worth it because it’s with her. With Undyne, I feel like I can do a-anything! And it’s…fun. I’ve dreamt about this since…well, we moved to the surface. A-and I get to have it with the woman that I love.”

You huffed. “I don’t know why she’s second-guessing this, then. Unless…she’s the one that’s scared?”

“U-Undyne has always been the one rallying for marriage. But she worries about me too much. I-I need to talk with her, to clear things up.” Alphys stood up and headed toward the door, determined in her steps.

“Aly. You would tell her if this wasn’t what you wanted, wouldn’t you?”

She chuckled, her back still to you. “I-I’m not going to run away any more. I’m going to chase after what I want. And I deserve to be happy.”

Wow. You were proud as hell of her. She held such…finality to her words. You knew that when you first met that she had a lot on her plate. You two had about the same amount of self-esteem. Over the years that you’d known each other, she grew into the person she wanted to be. She was still a little eccentric and dorky, but she wasn’t going to hide anything any more. Not when her friends had her back. Not when she had grown into the idea that she was worth the love that she was given.

You were the one that made sure to lock up the house, setting up all the security measures so no one could break in. You would be house sitting for them further in the week, but for now, you would leave things the way they were.

You headed to the bus and saw Sans standing there, looking down at his phone. When you approached him, he immediately locked the screen and flicked his gaze up to you.

“uh, hey.”

“You coming on? I think we’re about to pull off.”

Sans coughed and shoved both hands into his pockets. “nah. gonna ride in the second bus.”

“Oh.” That was…a surprise. “Why?”

“less crowded, more space. might even get a few minutes of snoozin’.”

Pretty lame excuse, considering he could sleep through nearly everything else. All it would take was a space just big enough for him to put his head down and he would go under. You once caught him in a closet of a party just leaning up against the coats stuffed in there and napping off in the corner.

“I thought you’d want to ride with me.”

“sure, but my bro’ll keep you company. heh, don’t worry about me. i’ll stay outta trouble.” He winked and started to walk away before you could protest.

His strange behavior left a sour taste in your mouth. Ever since he spent the day with Alphys, he’d been more distant. He said he would tell you what went on between them, but every time you brought it up, he just shied away. It wasn’t like him to be so hesitant. Sure, you agreed that you had secrets that you weren’t ready to share with each other just yet, but that night when he came home from her place, he seemed so ready to tell you everything. Now you were back at square one.

You wondered if maybe it was because of her. Did something happen between them? You glanced back at Alphys, her and Undyne heading this way to climb aboard the bus. It was kind of…weird that all of a sudden after his reunion with her that he sort of drifted away from you. And then Undyne cornered you to ask her if Alphys was still interested in marriage? Something didn’t add up.

“DATEMATE, LET’S GO! I HAVE THE BOOK SET UP!”

One look at his excited expression and you melted, stowing away your thoughts for later. You had a skeleboyfriend to spend time with.

Inside, the tour bus was even more impressive than its outward appearance. There was a small dining area with a fridge and sink, separate bedrooms in the back, a shower and bathroom, and copious amounts of portraits of Mettaton and his band. It was hard to take in. With the glitter seeming to rain down on your face with every step you took, and the bright, flashing colors of their newest music video playing on the flatscreens hooked up on every corner, it was a little overwhelming at first.

Papyrus didn’t seem to notice.

“WOWIE.” He ran his finger over the microphone encased in glass, the decoration posed below a platinum record on the wall. “THIS IS AMAZING. I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE IN METTATON’S TOUR BUS!!! IS THIS AN EARLY BIRTHDAY PRESENT? BECAUSE IF IT ISN’T, IT CAN BE.”

“As much as I’d like to take credit for this, I didn’t even know we were gonna be in here until this morning.”

You saddled in next to him, leaning against the comfortable cushioning of the booth. Across the table were colored pencils of various shapes and sizes, a pencil sharpener, and the book that he so revered. It was actually a pretty insane collection of landscapes that you could spend hours on if you really wanted to get it right.

You got settled and opened the book. The first one was an oceanic scene teeming with marine life.

“I WISH WE HAD SEEN THESE WHEN WE WENT TO THE BEACH THIS SUMMER.”

“I don’t think we could’ve found all of these, but you’re right. Hey, maybe we can go to the aquarium and check it out that way.”

“YOU ARE AS INTELLIGENT AS YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. HAVE I MENTIONED THAT BEFORE?”

“Yeah, you have.”

“NYEH HEH HEH. GOOD. I LOVE THE BLUSH IT BRINGS TO YOUR FACE.” He reached forward and grabbed hold of your cheeks, smushing and stretching them out. “YOU’RE SO SOFT. HOW CAN ONE HUMAN BE THIS CUTE?”

“Stop it!” you laughed, batting his wandering fingers away.

“NO. I’LL WANT TO SMOOCH YOU ALL OVER, AND WE ARE IN PUBLIC!!!”

“So you’ll just pull at my face?”

“UNTIL MY URGE HAS FADED, YES!!!”

Undyne hopped on board and took one look at you, Papyrus pinching your cheeks with a lovesick grin, and cackled.

“You two need a ROOM? There’s plenty in the back!!!”

“YOU’RE JUST JEALOUS. JEALOUS THAT SHE LETS ME TOUCH HER AND DO THIS.”

She gawked at him. “You-you take that BACK, Papyrus!”

“NO. I CAN CLEARLY SEE IT WRITTEN IN YOUR EYES. AS DEEP AS YOUR FRIENDSHIP IS, YOU WILL NEVER KNOW THE EXTENT OF OUR ULTIMATE FEELINGS FOR EACH OTHER!!!”

He released you and you rubbed at the now tender skin, color blossoming at the loss of pressure.

“NNNNGAAAAAHHHH! Fine!!! I want to know what it feels like to squish your human!”

You laughed slightly at their exchange. They were so embarrassing. You took it upon yourself to continue with the coloring book, filling in the blank spaces with various shades of blue to keep yourself busy.

Undyne headed toward the front of the bus to navigate with the driver, Alphys joining her. They were behind a curtain so they could get close without causing the rest of their guests any distress. You thought it was cute when they showed each other affection in public, and most monsters did, too, but for some reason they were much shyer about things now that their wedding was so close.

You scribbled Papyrus’s name on the page and put a heart next to it. Just something to sign your completed work. After about an hour of traversing through the hard linework and the uneven roads of the highway, you finally had a finished piece. One that you would be happy to put up on the fridge in the bus. Maybe Mettaton would see his talent and make something of it.

Papyrus took one look at what you’d done and turned bright red.

“WHAT IS THIS? A SNEAK ATTACK OF LOVE?”

“Yup, you got me.” You doodled more hearts around it.

“ACK! NO! I’M BEING CAUGHT OFF GUARD AND OVERWHELMED WITH YOUR AFFECTION!”

“Hehehe. Wait, just one more.”

He stopped your hand and snatched the pencil away, putting your name down instead. He drew a small doodle of you with the flower crown, the lead sweeping across his makeshift canvas like it was nothing.

“HA. TRY TO TOP THAT.”

“Nope. I admit defeat.”

“THEN I SHALL CLAIM MY PRIZE. A THOUSAND KISSES FOR PAPYRUS. EACH ONE MORE PASSIONATE THAN THE LAST. AND THEY MUST SURPRISE ME.”

“Deal.”

Papyrus busied himself with a trivia game that he brought along for the ride. It was all about Mettaton, of course, only fitting since you were trapped in this hellish thing he called a tour bus. You didn’t want to get motion sickness from trying to read off the cards and move around the board that shook with every mile you rocketed forward, so you headed toward one of the beds to just take a quick snooze.

You wished Toriel was here. You could talk about everything and nothing on the way. But her kids were antsy and a little hard to deal with, so she was nice enough to pile them all up in a separate car to the venue. She was so wonderful. If you had to spend more than an hour babysitting her spawn, you would’ve just given up on life completely. Visiting them once in a while was good enough for you.

In the midst of your Undernet browsing, you hadn’t noticed an unfamiliar shape linger near the edge of the cot you sat on.

It was Eva, Alphys’s co-worker. She didn’t say a word, but trotted over, sliding in next to you without even asking for permission. You felt yourself start to sweat as she leaned in close to you, her body heat exchanging with yours. If she touched you or even brushed up against your arm, you were going to lose it. And damn your anxiety, because by now, you couldn’t find the words to even question what she thought she was doing.

You tried to go along with your business and ignore her penetrative stare. Maybe a few videos would keep her entertained while you tried to calm down? You pulled up several shows that you could watch together, your fingers trembling as you scrolled through and picked an episode that would hold her attention for just a little while.

You sat in awkward fucking silence. She giggled a few times, laughing behind her hand, tittering away like it was just her kind of humor. You couldn’t tell if it was fake or not. But she edged toward you with every minute that passed, enough that you inched away and tried to find some sort of escape.

Papyrus came to your rescue. He pulled the curtain aside and his carefree expression soon melted when he caught sight of who was with you.

“OH. I DID NOT MEAN TO…INTERRUPT?”

“Paps!” You launched yourself at him and abandoned your laptop, nearly tearing up with relief. “This is, um, Alphys’s friend Eva. From the university.”

“WELL, HELLO! NICE TO MEET YOU! HOW RUDE OF ME. I AM UNDYNE’S BEST MAN, THE GREAT AND MAGNIFICENT PAPYRUS, ALL-AROUND HUMBLE AND GOOD-NATURED SKELETON.”

Ham it up more, sweetie. You found yourself tickled at the way he puffed his chest out. You hadn’t seen him try this hard to impress someone in a long while.

“I SUPPOSE YOU HAVE ALREADY HEARD OF ME.”

Huh?

“OH, AN AUTOGRAPH!!! YES, OF COURSE!” He whipped out a notepad from his…pocket (?) and scribbled on it with perfect penmanship. You watched him hand it over to Eva, who clutched it to her chest.

Papyrus offered his hand to you and you took it, leaving the strange monster girl behind. When you were far enough away, toward the back of the bus where there was a sizeable parlor and privacy screen, you let out a long sigh of exhaustion and fell into him.

“IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG?”

“How did you even understand her?”

“SHE IS VERY ARTICULATE. I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN.”

“I didn’t hear her say a thing.”

“AAAAHHHH. I FORGOT. HUMANS CAN’T LISTEN TO SOULS?” He patted your head affectionately. “IT’S ADORABLE HOW LOST YOU WOULD BE WITHOUT ME, SOMETIMES.”

“I know. I’m lucky to have you.”

He didn’t think you would call out his bluff. “OH…UM…”

“So…she can like, speak to you? Through her SOUL?”

“CORRECT!!! IT IS AN UNCONSCIOUS THING. WE ARE MADE OF MAGIC, AFTER ALL. HUMANS FORM LANGUAGE WITH THEIR PHYSICAL BODIES, BUT MONSTERS DO NOT HAVE TO. IT WOULD BE HARDER IF WE DID, CONSIDERING ALL THE WAYS WE CAN LOOK! SHE IS QUITE SHY, BUT I COULD HEAR HER WELL ENOUGH.”

“Hmm. Okay. But it’s not a romantic thing.”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT?” He seemed offended you would even suggest it. “I MEAN, YES. SOMETIMES THAT IS HOW THE CONVERSATION GOES. BUT SOULS ARE A REPRESENTATION OF WHO WE ARE, IT WOULD BE A BIT SILLY TO NOT BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THEM AT ALL. OR THAT THEY WOULD BE LIMITED TO ONE TOPIC.”

You flopped into his chest and listened to the own soft hum beneath his ribcage. “Mmmhmm.”

“NYEH HEH HEH, PAY ATTENTION! THIS IS JUICY STUFF!”

“I wanna listen to your SOUL sometime.”

“YES…I WANT THAT, TOO.” He reached up and threaded his fingers through your hair, a blush creeping up on his cheekbones. “IT HAS A LOT TO SAY.”


	2. Ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the day before Undyne and Alphys’s wedding. You just want to relax before the craziness of the celebration. Is that too much to ask?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i update this series **tuesdays and fridays**!
> 
> **head on over to my[tumblr](http://echoflowertea.tumblr.com)**! i'm taking active requests and post stuff i don't put on ao3!
> 
> a SUPER HUGE thank you to **TimeyWimeyGamer** for donating!!! you're so cool. i loved talking with you on tumblr and i'm so glad that you're enjoying this! message me anytime!

The rest of the trip was uneventful. With you and Papyrus in the bedroom, no one came to interrupt you. Alphys and Undyne were so busy navigating that they didn’t have time to come and check up on you, and anyone else on the bus kept to themselves. That gave you the chance to canoodle without anything in your way.

Because the bus had everything you needed, it was a straight shot to the venue. Alphys and Undyne would drop you off at the hotel while they spoke with the owner about any final preparations.

Despite all of the accommodations, you were still exhausted by the time they parked. Papyrus seemed to catch wind of your feelings and grabbed all of your bags without a word. By the time he stepped out onto the curb, you could barely recognize him underneath the mountain of luggage.

“Paps, let me take something?”

“NONSENSE. THIS IS NO PROBLEM FOR YOUR HEROIC BOYFRIEND.” To prove it, he took off into a run toward the doors. “WE MUST GET UPSTAIRS AND PICK OUR ROOM!!!”

You were right behind him until you felt something familiar tugging you in the other direction. When you turned, you saw that Eva was struggling to pry her bag from the massive pile that was stuffed in the back. It seemed like a shame to just pretend you didn’t see her, so despite your initial discomfort, you headed toward her.

She was a lot shorter than you, so you plucked her stuff with ease and set it next to her. She was startled at first, but when taking a good look at you, her expression softened.

“Any others of yours? I can get them down for you.”

*No thank you.

“Okay, just let me know.” You turned heel and were just about to head inside when you froze.

You just heard her. She spoke to you!

You whipped around and she didn’t seem to notice, busying herself with getting her bag ready to roll on inside. Against your better judgment, you approached her again.

“Eva!”

*Yes?

You gaped at her. She blinked at you slowly before a smile broke across her face.

*Oh!!! You can understand me?

“I can! Holy shit, that’s amazing!” You couldn’t believe it. “I’m sorry I couldn’t before, I guess I just wasn’t trying in the right way?”

*I kind of forgot humans are like that. Sorry.

“No, it’s not your fault. Gosh, this changes everything. I think a proper introduction is in order.” You held out your hand for her to shake. “Nice to meet you, Eva.”

*I’m so excited to spend time with you, she admitted. *Um, it’s kind of embarrassing, but you’re like…my idol.

“Pfft, what? Why?”

*I saw you on stage at the carnival months ago and it was just…so amazing. For you to do something with a monster without worrying about the consequences.

You frowned and thought back to that night. Ro, a friend of yours, used your SOUL for an impromptu performance on the stage. They were a musician and thought that bonding with you in front of a live audience would draw the crowds and bring success to their act. It worked, but you never gave them the okay for it, which caused a whole slew of problems afterward.

“Oh. Um…yeah.”

She paused midstep and gazed at you seriously. *Is something the matter?

“No! No, I’m sorry. I’m just. I didn’t think that what I did would make a difference.”

*It did. Some monsters are still very shy about SOUL experiences with humans because of bad blood, but…that night, so many people were able to see how trust between our two peoples could create something so wonderful.

Ugh, you were starting to feel sick. “Err, yeah. Sooo…are you seeing a human?”

*No. I wish I was. There are a lot of very nice people at the university, but I guess we just haven’t clicked.

You hadn’t noticed that you already passed through the entrance and were following the rest of the wedding party. You were so engrossed in your conversation because it was strangely fascinating. Talking with her through her SOUL was something entirely new and yet…so effortless now that the wall had been knocked down. Before, it felt like you weren’t listening like you should have been.

If you could hear hers…then maybe you could hear Papyrus’s? Or Sans’s? That thought brought a creeping smile to your face and you tried to stifle your own inner musings as Eva prattled on about her research.

From the corner of your eye you thought you saw something, but shook it off. That was weird. It almost looked like…Sans? But when you turned your gaze forward, he was ahead of you. Standing at one of the doors and texting on his phone. You almost wanted to stop and force a confrontation, but this wasn’t the time or place for it. Instead, you simply ignored him and flashed a bright smile at Eva, who was looking for any sign of approval at her story.

*Well, I’m going to unpack. See you tonight at the party?

“Yeah! Bye!”

Eva slipped into her room and you made your way to Papyrus, who was struggling with using the electronic room key on the door.

“Hey Paps, let me get it.” You plucked it from his hands and opened it with ease. “Hey, where’s Sans?” You glanced backwards and saw that he’d disappeared. Where the hell had he run off to? “We did get an adjoining room, didn’t we?”

“I AM NOT SURE. HE MUST BE BUSY WITH PRETENDING TO BE BUSY SO HE DOESN’T HAVE TO LIFT A FINGER FOR WEDDING PREPARATIONS.” Papyrus put his hands on his hips with an undignified snort. “WELL, IF HE IS GOING TO AVOID US, THERE IS NO SENSE IN STRESSING ABOUT IT!!! HE DOESN’T DESERVE OUR WORRY. SHALL WE GET SETTLED?”

“Mmhmm! I’m going to jump all over the bed!”

“WAIT, NO! I LIKE THE WAY THAT THE BLANKETS ARE TUCKED IN SO NEATLY!”

“Okay, but what if we jump in it together?”

“OH. I HAVE…NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT BEFORE?”

“C’mon, let’s go!”

You weren’t sure where the hell Sans was, but you were a little worried. You were used to him popping in and out of your life, but why now, of all times? And you hadn’t seen very much of each other lately. You halfway expected him to just show up in the room and end up snoozing next to you on the other bed, but he never did.

Hmm. Maybe he just wanted some alone time. That…wasn’t bad. Strange, but not bad.

After a short nap, you and Papyrus had to get up for the dinner tonight. Alphys and Undyne didn’t buy into the whole, “no seeing each other until the wedding day” human tradition, so both sides of the party were going to be there to celebrate their last day of being single. For them, it was more of a step forward in the right direction. No strip clubs or bachelorette parties, which you were grateful for because…yikes, that would’ve involved a lot of high-pitched screaming, drinking and touching. For the two of them, they just wanted a get-together where they could mark tonight as the last time they would ever have to spend alone. Now _that_ was something worth raising your glass to.

You slipped into a casual dress and struggled with getting the zipper. Ugh, this was the worst. No matter how far you reached back, you just couldn’t get it. It didn’t help that you could see yourself fail in the mirror, your reflection just a reminder that the design of your outfit was flawed.

“Paps! I need your help in here!”

He burst through the door without a beat. “YES??? WHAT IS IT, DATEMATE? DID YOU GET STUCK IN THE SHOWER?”

“No, just need you to zip me up.” You gathered your hair up and slung it over to one side, on top of your breast, staring straight ahead.

Papyrus’s energy waned just a bit, but he regained whatever semblance he had of common sense as soon as he saw the bare sliver of your shoulder. He walked over slowly to close the space between you, helping you get the lingering wisps away from the gnashing teeth of the zipper.

“WOWIE. THIS IS A WONDERFUL DRESS.”

“Thanks! I promise the one for tomorrow is even better.”

He dragged his fingertips along your skin, starting from the slope of your neck and to the small of your back. You shuddered at his touch. It was nice. To be able to do this with someone and not feel disgusted with yourself. To not have to recoil as soon as he came this close. To have someone you could trust enough to bare yourself to and not worry about them hurting you.

“CAN I…KISS YOU?”

“Why?”

“YOU ARE INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL IN IT. AND I CANNOT SEEM TO KEEP MY HANDS TO MYSELF.”

You chuckled. “Okay, go for it. Just take it slow.”

He dipped down to plant soft skelesmooches down your shoulderblades, pausing between each one to give you room to breathe. He kissed along the curve of your jaw, the junction of your ear, lingering on your pulse with a laugh under his breath. In the midst of it all you hadn’t even noticed that your dress came together and fit just right under his gentle guidance.

“THERE YOU GO. ALL FINISHED.” He stepped back smugly. “IT LOOKS LIKE I HAVE SAVED YOU THE TIME IN PUTTING BLUSH ON THOSE SOFT, PINCHABLE CHEEKS!”

“Ugh, shut up.”

“NYEH HEH HEH! WHAT, YOU HAVE NOTHING CLEVER TO SAY IN RESPONSE?”

You turned around to put your hands on his chest and he bent down, fully expecting the kiss you gave in return for his help.

“Papyrus, um. I know this is a really…weird time, but I was wondering if…maybe…”

“YES?”

“Maybe soon, we could…share SOULs.”

He stared at you with his jaw dropped. “WH-WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?”

“Toriel kind of gave me a brief little introduction about SOUL stuff yesterday because I was wondering about…things. And after spending time with you today, and hearing more about hearing SOULs speak to each other…it got me thinking. That after all this time, you’ve never seen my SOUL. And I want to see yours.”

He tugged at his collar, beads of sweat coming down his temple with a steady drip. “YOU…THAT IS NOT AS BIG OF A COMMITMENT TO MONSTERS, BUT YOU ARE HUMAN, SO THAT IS QUITE A REQUEST. NOT TO MENTION THAT YOUR LAST EXPERIENCE WAS…”

“Exactly. I don’t want that one…horrible thing to color the rest of my life. I love you, and even if it’s not the biggest step we can take, it’s something. Would you be willing to try it with me?”

He coughed violently into his hand, gazing around for a bottle of water. He grabbed the half-empty one on the bathroom counter and slammed it, not caring that the residual splashed up against his chin and chest.

“THIS CAN’T BE REAL. I MUST BE DREAMING. THE LOVE OF MY LIFE IS ACTUALLY ASKING ME TO SHOW HER MY SOUL.”

“Yeah. I am.”

He took your hands and put it to his chest, the motion sending a searing warmth throughout your entire arm. It was borderline unpleasant because you weren’t expecting it, and he didn’t seem to care.

“RIGHT NOW. I WANT TO DO IT RIGHT NOW.”

“Before the dinner?!”

“YES!!!” He stepped backwards, still with a firm grip on your arm. “FOLLOW ME. LET’S GET COMFORTABLE.”

You honestly didn’t expect him to want to do this. You had about an hour before you had to head downstairs, and it was really sudden. But you asked him. And you were….ready.

SOUL sharing, Toriel told you, was really the basic stuff. Monsters did it all the time. It was mostly between people in platonic relationships. Friends more often than not, only because families grew up already familiar with their siblings’ and parents’ SOULs. There was nothing new or exciting about it.

He and Undyne had shared SOULs in a roundabout way. Fighting each other and training, using their magic. Both of them had very unique abilities that affected their opponent’s SOULs. So this experience wasn’t totally new for him, but the way you'd presented it definitely was. This wasn’t in the context of battle. This was behind closed doors, with his human girlfriend, and nothing but time on your hands.

Papyrus sat cross-legged on the bed, you following his lead. It was hard to believe you found a bed big enough for him to do this.

“OKAY. NOW YOU SIT THERE WHILE I SUMMON YOUR SOUL. ARE YOU READY?”

You thought about when Ro did this, when they drew your SOUL out by falsifying your unique beat. It felt strange. “Is it going to hurt?”

“NO, OF COURSE NOT!!! IT IS A VERY NATURAL THING. JUST RELAX. AND TAKE A DEEP BREATH. IF YOU WANT TO STOP, AT ANY TIME, JUST TELL ME. ARE YOU…READY? WE DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO, IT IS JUST VERY INTERESTING TO ME, TOO MUCH TO PASS UP–”

You reached over to lace your fingers with his. “No. I’m sure of this.”

“J- JUST…GIVE ME A MOMENT.”

You blinked and it was done.

Huh. It _was_ a nice shade of purple. You’d seen art depicting SOULs before. Monsters were rightfully obsessed with them Underground. It was quite the big deal. But actually having a live representation, one that resided within you, of all places, was incredible.

The glowing heart pulsated with every breath you took. It shivered when he stared at it, the bright stars in his sockets growing. As the seconds ticked on, Papyrus became more enraptured with it, the center of his chest glowing a bright white and nearly blinding you the closer his own SOUL got to his chest.

It poked through his dresswear and came out into the open, bursting through in all of his signature flare. Sparkling and stark against the dimly lit room. It was upside down, the tip of it pointing upwards in a shape like a spade. You found yourself drawn to it, too, not realizing you were grinning until your face began to ache from holding it for so long.

“OKIE-DOKIE. I’M GOING TO TAKE YOURS, NOW. I WANT TO FEEL IT, IF THAT IS ALRIGHT WITH YOU.”

“Yes! I mean, um. I want to touch yours, too.”

As soon as you stretched your fingers out, the SOUL gravitated toward your palm. Bouncing as it cuddled in the lines of your hands. It was so soft. Like a tiny bundle of feathers shed from a baby chic. His SOUL spun around in circles and danced, showing off, doing cartwheels and front flips, only speeding up its pace with every choked laugh it drew out of you.

“AH….”

You glanced up briefly and did a double-take. Papyrus had yours cupped in his hands, hunched over and cradling it like it was his lifeline. Your SOUL wasn’t quite as active as his. It merely bobbed up and down and anchored itself in his gentle grip. He brought it close to his chest and leaned down to whisper to it.

You sucked in a breath as the words seeped into it and flowed through you. It was…almost too much. With every whisper he gave it, his spiel burrowed its way in and seemed to thread in your skin and brain. Words of devotion. Of encouragement. How he loved you so much he would do anything for you, how much this meant to him, how he was speechless. You found that hard to believe, considering every single wonderful thing he muttered swallowed you up in a warm cocoon.

Two could play at this game. You brought his SOUL up and nestled it, telling it with finality just how you really felt. That you loved him and you were happy that he chose you, of all people.

You sat there for a long time, enjoying each other’s SOULs. It wasn’t pleasurable by any means, not in a sexual way. Not even in a romantic way. But there was definitely something there. A platonic love that the two exchanged while you took care of them, learning so much about each other. Your SOUL was warm to the touch, he said, and seemed heavy at first, but gradually lifted itself with every positive thing he told you. And his was so eager to please, but when you assured it that he didn’t need to prove anything to you, it settled down and was happy to lull against you.

A knock on the door broke your concentration. Papyrus released your SOUL and it dissipated, retreating to where it belonged. His own took a little more coaxing, but he managed to take it back with a bashful grin.

*Hello? Are you two ready to head down?

“Oh, it’s Eva.” You leaned forward and kissed him hard enough that he had to reach up and tangle his fingers in your hair to keep you both on the bed. “That was…”

“YES, I TOO THINK IT…”

“We should…”

“I AGREE.”

Without wasting another second, you jumped out of bed, slipped on your shoes, and tore the door open to greet the monster girl who was waiting. She took one look at you and broke into a warm smile.

*I hope we get good seats!

You didn’t get a very good look at the hotel when you first arrived, considering you were so busy, but it was amazing. Really high-end. Apparently the university that Alphys worked at had connections with this place for conferences and frequent bookings, so they gave a discount for the wedding party that she couldn’t refuse. Especially not because it was paid for in full by her co-workers, everyone chipping in as their gift to her.

The elevator doors opened and you gazed through the glass tube that climbed up the center of the hotel. As soon as you stepped out, you were led across a vast marble floor to the private dining hall. Giant oak double-doors with an attendant in front, with rows of tables covered with delicate and expensive tablecloths that shimmered with what looked like miniature crystals interwoven in the fabric. Sweeping chandeliers that seemed to welcome you with open arms, the heavy incense of scented candles and floral arrangements, the massive murals on the walls of painstakingly beautiful pointillism pieces.

“OH, THERE THEY ARE. GOOD, WE ARE EARLY.”

Papyrus slid the chair out for you and you blushed slightly, embarrassed at how high he was riding from your SOUL sharing experience. Eva didn’t seem to notice anything had happened between you, comfortable to settle on the other side of you and digging in her purse to touch up her lipstick.

“Fufufu! KNEW you would be on time.” Undyne chugged at her wineglass filled with water. The bottle said it was from a nearby spring in the mountains. “How’d you guys like the room? Fancy, right?!”

“IT IS AMAZING!!! I REALLY ENJOY THE LITTLE SOAPS AND TOWELS.”

“You’d better!!! It’s great for ya! The hotel has a stock of monster supplies they use for us, so it’s going to help give your BONES a healthy glow!!!” She squinted. “You didn’t already use it, did you?!”

“WHAT? NO? AM I GLOWING?”

“Snrk….a little.” She turned her gaze toward you. “You’re lookin’ pretty flushed yourself, nerd! Did you guys just get done MAKING OUT?”

“GOODIE, I HOPE THEY COME TO TAKE OUR APPETIZER ORDER SOON.” Papyrus buried himself in the menu, letting the giant text swallow up his face so Undyne couldn’t pry any longer.

You saw Sans come in and wander toward you. For the first time all day, he wasn’t looking at his phone. He paused when he came within a few feet of you,  stopping short when he realized that the space he would’ve taken was filled.

But he was quick to recover. He hopped up on the chair across from you and immediately stared at Eva, pinpricks of light boring through her almost…distastefully.

“heya. i miss anything?”

“NO, WE WERE JUST WAITING FOR THE WAITER.”

“heh. ok.”

You licked your lower lip and tried to gain his attention, but it was like you didn’t even exist. What the hell was his problem?

“don’t think we’ve met,” Sans stated suddenly, in the midst of all the conversations. “who’re you?”

Eva jumped at his flat tone. *Oh. My name is Eva.

“She’s a researcher who works with Alphys,” you chimed in. He finally spared a glance at you, though having his full gaze on you wasn’t as good as you thought it would be. “You specialize in…what, phylogeny?”

*Yes. Specifically mammalian phylogeny, though I do most of my research on marsupials. I’m surprised you remembered that.

“It sounded cool, so I thought I should.”

*Well…thank you. I’m glad someone thinks it’s interesting.

Sans reached over with a wide grin. “nice to meet ya. name’s sans.”

Eva went to give him the benefit of the doubt, but you stopped her from going any further. She gazed at you in surprise when you grabbed her outstretched hand. “Um, he’s trying to play a prank on you.”

“SANS YOUR ROUTINES ARE GETTING QUITE OLD. TRY SOMETHING NEW AND EXCITING, BUT NOT QUITE AS PAINFUL,” Papyrus chimed from his menu fort. He was constructing a perfect house for his head so he wouldn’t have to look Undyne in the eye.

“heh, sorry. couldn’t help it.” Sans sat back in his seat. “guess i’ll just keep my _eye_ on you.”

Eva didn’t seem to realize he was making a pun about her appearance and shot you a questioning stare. *Um…how do you know Alphys?

“kind of a long story there, bud.” Sans shifted. “i know the human you’re sittin’ next to more.”

He was being so weird right now. You would fill in the gaps so she wasn’t left in the dark. “He and Alphys used to work together Underground. But Sans is just finding his way back into the science world.”

*Oh, great! I would love to pick your brain sometime.

“might be kinda hard, considerin’ i’ve got nothin’ but this empty skull o’ mine.” He winked. “you guys, uh, met before?”

*US? No! I mean, yes. At a party. We didn’t talk very much…or at all…

“But she’s really cool. I think we’re going to the pool tonight after dinner. She told me all about this super cute swimsuit she has.”

“I POLITELY DECLINED BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT TO SOIL THE SOFT AND FLUFFY TOWELS IN OUR ROOM WITH….CHLORINE!!!”

The food came out. Finally. You were getting weird vibes all around the table. Between Papyrus trying to keep what you did under wraps for a little while longer, Undyne regarding him with extreme suspicion, Alphys snapping candid photos of everyone with or without their permission, Toriel bursting into the room with a long trail of cranky children whining behind her, Sans just…staring at Eva, and Eva smiling at you, there was too much going on.

The servers set your plates down and you dug in. Why was your life just a series of awkward meals? That’s what it felt like, sometimes. For the first time in a while you ordered something off the drink menu, a sweet treat to ease your fears and calm your nerves considering everyone was getting more hostile as the minutes waned on.

“Hey PAPYRUS. We’re friends, right? And friends don’t keep secrets!!!”

“UNTRUE? WE HAVE TO, OTHERWISE IT WOULD BE MUCH TOO INVASIVE. LEARN YOUR BOUNDARIES, UNDYNE!”

“H-hey Eva, you two should get in a l-little closer. I want to get you two together.”

Alphys clicked the button and you shot the camera a grin. When you pulled away, Eva excitedly gestured for the picture so she could show it to you.

“Ew, Aly! Delete it, I look awful!”

*No you don’t! You’re _so_ cute! I’m gonna frame this!

Sans just started talking without anyone saying a word to him, his voice rising above the chatter of the table. “hey, eva. buddy. pal. friend o’ mine. you ever, uh, think about just tryin’ to adapt to human speech?”

What the fuck. “Sans.”

“what? kinda curious. we’ve been up for a while, kinda inconvenient for her to just expect everyone to bend over backwards for her.”

You weren’t staying for dessert at this rate, no matter how much it would melt on your tastebuds. “ _Sans,”_ you hissed.

*It’s…a little complicated, actually. Um. I’m kind of shy around most humans, so it’s really hard to…

“Eva, you literally don’t have to answer that. It’s really fucking rude, actually.” You shot him a warning look.

Before you could get any further, Undyne stood up with her glass raised in the air. Alphys did her the honor of tapping her knife against it, seeing as how her fiancée would’ve shattered it accidentally if she attempted it.

“Listen up, everybody! Me n’ Alphys are PUMPED you guys are all here!!! The wedding starts tomorrow at eight sharp, so make sure you get rested up! That means if you’re going to PARTY, at least make sure you show up on time!!!”

Alphys laughed at that and Undyne grinned down at her. Dorks in love.

“We’re gonna split because we’ve got some last minute preparations, but enjoy the rest of the dinner!”

A little weird that they were going to take off from a room full of their closest friends. But you understood that tomorrow they were going to be overwhelmed with everyone from all paths of life. They probably just wanted to actually enjoy their room and the time alone before having so many people down their throats.

With the both of them gone, the dinner turned from semi-formal to downright casual. You left your seat and went to find Toriel, who was on the opposite side of the room babysitting.

“Tori!”

“Hello!” She stood up and you embraced briefly. “Look at you. That is quite the dress.”

“You’re one to talk. I had no idea you owned something so elegant. I mean, more than usual.”

She chuckled. “Well, I have to try and fit in with the rest of you youngsters. So. Why did you rush over here? Is something wrong?”

You couldn’t very well ignore the elephant in the room. From the corner of your eye you could still see Sans grilling Eva. “Something’s up with Sans. He’s acting like a total douche.”

“Is he?” She frowned. “Would you like me to speak with him?”

“No. But just keep an eye on him. He didn’t want to travel with me, he ignored me all night, and now he’s picking fights with Alphys’s friend. I don’t understand.” You sighed in exasperation. “I think I’m going to head back upstairs. If he comes looking for me, let him know that’s where I am.”

“I can do that. Papyrus and I are going to take a walk, surprisingly he said he would like to speak with me in private. We are planning to stop by the art gallery for some peace and quiet.”

“Sounds good. See ya!”

You stopped by the table and told Papyrus where you would be, planting a gentle kiss on his temple before disappearing. Before you left, you caught sight of Toriel approaching the others and sharing a few words with Sans. His expression tightened when she strolled up, which probably meant that she was turning on her Intimidating Aura™ to get through to him.

*Are you leaving already?

You almost went into the elevator. “Oh, gosh. Eva! I’m so sorry, I forgot we made plans.”

*It’s okay, I understand if you’re tired.

“No, let’s go! I’m just going to grab something from my room.”

At least she was acting normal. You were in a bitter mood because of Sans’s attitude, but he wasn’t going to ruin this trip for you. Not when you put so much time and effort into making things fall into place.

“Come on in. I’ll just be a sec.”

Eva stood in the center of the room, in awe of the suite. It was really nice. An adjoining room so that you had your own bed, but it was massive enough that all three of you could live comfortably in it. She was so busy picking up one of the strange trinkets on the bookcase near the window that you weren’t too worried about boring her.

You slipped on your bathing suit. A bikini would’ve been bold, but there were a lot of people you didn’t know at this hotel, and not all of them were part of the wedding. You were content to just put on a reserved one piece and wrap, stepping out into the hallway so you could meet back up with her.

“Hey, you should just change in here so I can get a good look at the suit before we get in the wat–”

The door handle turned and it opened, a familiar shadow lingering in the threshold.

“Sans.”

“heya.” He wasn’t even looking at you. His expression and tone was icy, and Eva was getting the brunt of it. “should i leave? you two, uh…lookin’ pretty cozy up here.”

She stepped backwards and shrank. *I-I’m sorry. I have to go.

“Eva, wait.” You tried to stop her, but she’d dashed out the room past him before you could do anything. Seeing the heartbroken look on her face was enough to set you off. “Sans, what the hell are you doing? Why are you…”

“tori said you wanted to talk. so. here i am. unless ya forgot about me.”

You hated this. He was treating you like before. When you weren’t together. How he could just stifle his true thoughts and emotions with a smile. He had his hands shoved in his pockets, leering at you like he was daring you to call out his bluff, and inside he was punishing himself. Why did he do this? And what caused him to regress to this stage?

“What are you _talking_ about? Aren’t you the one that just went out of your way to ignore me this entire trip?”

“heh. heh heh.” He glanced down. “you think… _i_ was ignorin’ _you_?”

“You didn’t want to ride with me, you didn’t step foot in this room the entire afternoon, and you come into the dining hall refusing to even look at me! I’d say that constitutes as ignoring! If you’re mad at me, just tell me why!”

Sans’ expression turned downright cold. “i dunno, babe. maybe it’s the fact that you and that other monster have been attached to the hip all night.”

“Eva? Are you serious? I just met her today.”

“really? coulda fooled me. talkin’ with each other all damn day and night.”

“I’m not allowed to talk to other monsters?”

“not when you can’t even talk to _me_!”

You couldn’t grasp what was going on here. “Sans. How was I supposed to talk with you when you were gone all day? I even texted you a pun about buses and you blew me off!”

He closed his eyes for a long moment and sighed. As if he was gathering himself. Preparing. “that’s not what i mean. you’ve been…listenin’ to her SOUL. and you can’t even hear mine.”

You frowned. “It’s only been today–”

“exactly.” He shrank even more into himself. “all this time we’ve been together. you meet someone new and…what, within a few hours, you got it down pat? never done nothin’ like that with me. i was…tryin’. to get your attention the whole night. to see if you could hear me. but you couldn’t.”

You understood his frustration, but that wasn’t fair. “It’s not my fault, okay? I never planned to just…and Papyrus said that it wasn’t an intimate thing, so why are you getting so pissed off about it? So what if I can hear her SOUL? It’s only been to listen to her because she doesn’t have the ability to use other means of communication. And by the way, it’s a really shitty thing for you to sit there and chastise her for that. She doesn’t have to—”

“babe.”

“What?”

“it…drives me _crazy_ when you’re able to do something so simple with a stranger. if you were a monster, it wouldn’t even matter. but you’re not. you’re human. and it just…felt…” He trailed off, searching for the right words. He must’ve been nervous, because he started to sweat again.

“listen, it’s…hard…to sit here…and see you so close with another person. i know that you can have your pick of anybody, that i’m the lucky one. and you have _no idea_ what it’s like to sit there and think that you’re…that you can…be happy with someone else besides me. makes me feel like…what’s stoppin’ you?”

This was…really hard to hear. All of his insecurities were on the table and it was heartbreaking how low he thought of himself. Beforehand, he’d gone on and on about how much he cared for you and how wonderful he thought you were. Wasn’t it hypocritical of him? To sit there and chastise you for your low self-esteem, then turn around and basically admit to you that he still thought you were going to up and leave?

“and if…after all this time, we still can’t make somethin’ this simple work…then it’s never gonna happen. and it wouldn’t mean so much if you couldn’t do it with other people, but the fact that you can…”

“Sans. Please, can I say something?”

“no, i gotta get this off my chest. heh. harder than it sounds, y’know? gotta…get this right…”

Why was he so distressed? You bit your lip and stared at him, hoping he would continue, but it seemed like he’d finally frozen over.

“ain’t easy. livin’ your whole life…thinkin’ that everything could just up and go back to a time where you can’t remember a thing…”

You cocked your head and shuddered. The atmosphere in the room had changed. The bulbs in the room tinted and grew brighter, creating a halo so obnoxious that you could feel the beginnings of a headache. There was a chill down your spine and a warmth in the center of your chest, your mouth going dry.

“you just expect it. you kind of wake up…knowing that there’s always gonna be somethin’ familiar about the day…and you keep smilin’ because what else can you do? you’ve got people who care about ya who are gonna notice…”

A faint beat resounded in the back of your head. It didn’t hurt, but it was distracting you from his rambling. You needed to hear this. He was spilling out everything to you, and the only thing that you could do was feel your eardrums throb with something that sounded vaguely like a whisper.

“then you meet someone…someone incredible…”

*…l…y…

“a girl you can do anything with…”

*…v…ou…

“’cuz she’s patient…and a hell of a kisser, heh…”

*lov…you…

“and suddenly you’re afraid. for the first time in forever, ‘cuz you don’t know if you’ll lose her to someone else. and you got your own issues, so you don’t know how to tell her. how to admit to yourself. how to sit there and say it.”

*i love you.

“keep talkin’ in circles, too. shouldn’t be this much of a hassle.”

*i love you.

“pathetic, huh? can’t even…come out and just…”

*i love you.

“and then you wonder if maybe things aren’t the same between us. if i take that plunge, and it ain’t the same, what does that make me?”

“I love you too, Sans.”

His head snapped up and he gazed at you hard. “what.”

“I love you. You…you’ve been saying it this whole time?” You knew what you heard. It was still going through your head in a gentle mantra. Background noise against the world around you. Faint, but there. Just a sliver of the words pieced together through sheer perseverance.

Sans looked lost at first. But his expression shifted with every agonizing second that ticked by. The corners of his mouth perking upwards, his grin bursting through his uncharacteristic grimace. His eyesockets crinkled with mirth and you watched his shoulders shake, a deep-rooted laugh starting in the center of his chest and crawling up his vertebrae. For a moment, you thought everything had finally resolved itself. Until you saw fat dollops of tears roll down his cheekbones.

“Oh my god. I didn’t…”

“ah. shit.” He lifted his arm and wiped his face in his sleeve, resting there so you couldn’t see his expression any more. He was still laughing. “you, uh. kinda caught me off guard here. i don’t know what the hell i’m doin’.”

You closed the distance between you, putting your fingertips on him so you could peel his arm away. He looked up at you and the heart-shaped pupils in his eyesockets were bright and wide, pulsing with every shaky exhale. His cheeks were rosy with color and the sweat continued to pour down his temple. It was…a little confusing what to make of his appearance, up until he reached up to guide your palm to his jaw.

“say it again?”

“I love you.” You weren’t going to hold back any more. “And I heard it. Your SOUL. It’s just…saying it over and over again. All this time I never…”

“finally got the chance to figure it out myself. can’t believe you—”

You shook your head and bent down to kiss him. He accepted it gladly, laughing between your lips, drawing you close enough that he could press his forehead against yours. Holding you in place so he could gaze at you intensely, his SOUL thrumming and sighing in relief. His confession grew softer now, but it was just as encouraging now that you knew it was always going to be there.

“you really mean that?”

“You’re seriously going to ask me that. After everything. You stupid skeleton.” You gigglesnorted.

“man. i’m so lucky. so damn lucky.” He angled his face toward yours and kissed you again, lingering just long enough for his SOUL to whisper your name.

“So, let me get this straight: this entire time, all of the avoiding and running away…it was because you were trying to figure out how to tell me this?”

“heh…yeah.”

“You’re such a dork. The biggest. And were you acting so standoffish toward Eva because you were…jealous of her?”

Sans grunted. “you’re really enjoin’ this, aren’t ya.”

“Oh, you’re never gonna live this down. I’m bugging you about this for the rest of my life.”

He locked eyes with you and his browbone furrowed, as if he was weighing your words. When you didn’t say anything else, he eventually relaxed, a lazy smile reappearing on his features. *ok. sounds good to me.


	3. After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the wedding! Are you ready?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **hi, guys!** i wanted to apologize for this late update. i already made a post about it on my tumblr, but thought i would put it up here as well. on monday night, my brother was admitted to the hospital and had to undergo emergency surgery for appendicitis. i was in the midst of working on this chapter and didn't have time to finish it between dealing with his health issues and then working for eight hours the next day. i'm so sorry about the delay and thank you for understanding.
> 
> i update this series **tuesdays and fridays**!
> 
> come bug me on my [tumblr](http://echoflowertea.tumblr.com/)! i post fics on there that aren't on ao3, give updates about my life/writing progress, and reblog fun art/fics!

****“Good night, guys.”

“where you goin’?”

You stood in front of the adjoining door to your room. “Going to bed?”

“alone?”

You sighed. Papyrus came back from his walk with Toriel and seemed even more on cloud nine than ever. He couldn’t even look at you without grinning like you were the greatest thing he’d ever seen. And Sans tried to play it cool, but the hearts in his eyes still hadn’t faded despite your confession being well over an hour ago.

“Yes? I mean, there’s only two beds in here.”

“so sleep with me--”

“SLEEP WITH ME.”

Okay. This...had never happened before. You rubbed at your neck and gazed at the both of them, who glanced at each other in surprise. Sans didn’t know about you and Papyrus sharing SOULs, and Papyrus wasn’t aware that you and Sans had just said the L-word. So both of them wanted you all to themselves. 

In normal circumstances, you took turns. You went to bed with Papyrus and then you and Sans ended up together by the middle of the night. But with the both of them crammed in one room, and two beds, it was a little harder to discern who took priority.

“Um, so. How are we supposed to solve this, guys?”

Papyrus squinted at his brother with his arm crossed. “TRADITION DICTATES THAT YOU SPEND THE NIGHT WITH ME FIRST. I AM AN EXCELLENT CUDDLER, HOWEVER, SO IT MAY BE THAT YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN WANT TO GO TO SANS!”

“heh, ok. but this isn’t the house. and you spent the whole day with her in the bus. you guys napped together earlier. i get first pick.”

“WHAT HAPPENED EARLIER IS IRRELEVANT! YOU MADE THE DECISION TO NOT HANG OUT WITH US. SO I SUGGEST THAT WE SETTLE THIS THE WAY IT WAS MEANT TO BE SETTLED: WITH HER CHOICE!!!”

“I’m not sleeping with either of you. Night.” You turned heel and pushed your way into your room, the both of them crying out in protest and Papyrus scrambling to stop you.

“WAIT!!! I...I’M SORRY. WE ARE BEING...SELFISH, AREN’T WE?”

“I appreciate that the both of you want to do this, but I’m not okay with picking sides.” That wasn’t part of your relationship. “So if you can’t decide, then it’s neither.”

“babe. got an idea.”

You headed back to the other side and Sans had...somehow pushed both massive beds together. Now it was a giant mess of blankets and pillows with enough space for you to lie in the middle. Papyrus thanked him for his idea and you gave a nod of approval, touched that the both of them were so unwilling to let this go that they were able to compromise instead.

You shut the light off and Sans continued to scroll away on his phone. He had his head on the same pillow as yours. Papyrus slept on his back and stretched an arm out over your shoulder, herding you into his chest while you buried your face in him.

All three of you.

Now this was a good idea. For something temporary, of course.

You weren’t sure when Sans finally fell asleep, but he put his arm around your stomach to tug you back into him. Soft breaths on your shoulder while he snoozed so peacefully. Wasn’t it not too long ago when he called you over because of a nightmare? Hard to believe when he was so comfortable, fingers digging into your stomach almost possessively.

Papyrus slipped away from you early enough that you were annoyed. You’d been expecting it, but you didn’t want him to leave the bed.

“Paps?”

He kissed you on the forehead and stepped away from the mattress, bashful as he gazed at you. “UNDYNE AND I ARE GOING FOR A RUN. WE’LL BE BACK IN TIME FOR THE WEDDING, I PROMISE.”

“Mmkay. Wake me up in an hour, okay?”

“NYEH HEH HEH. OF COURSE. GOODBYE, LOVE OF MY LIFE!!!”

Papyrus came back right on time. He would have to shower, because skeleton monsters somehow had the capability to sweat, but he would rouse you from your slumber once he was done. Wrapped in a fluffy robe that the hotel provided, which was a ridiculous animal-print, he escorted you straight from the bed and into the bathroom.

You took your time. Shaving your legs and everything. Sans came in when you were in the midst of your makeup routine, hopping in the shower while you tried to make yourself look presentable enough for pictures later. Papyrus was already in your adjoining room, getting dressed in his suit, while Sans went as slow as possible to give his brother unnecessary anxiety.

Well, at least this dress didn’t have a zipper issue. And it still fit! You smoothed it down and looked for any wrinkles, happy that you wouldn’t have to grab the ironing board from the closet and waste your time. With everything in place, you swiped away the fog on the mirror to gaze at yourself all put together.

Sans whistled behind you. “heya, beautiful. got a date to the wedding?”

“Actually, I do. A real stud.” You turned toward him, shrinking as he looked you up and down. “Um, is it okay?”

“really gotta ask that?” He chuckled and leaned on the doorway. “guess i should’ve taken you serious all those months ago when you said it was gonna be a hell of a dress. gotta say though, the girl wearin’ ‘em is what does it justice.”

“Pfft. Do you have a book somewhere with lines you try out on me?” You gazed at yourself a little longer despite your bravado. It was a little nervewracking to go out there in this. The dress was gorgeous, but it was also pretty form-fitting and strappy. Not to mention the band around your waist that showed the skin of your stomach through a thin lace pattern.

“nah, if i went by the book, i'd go with somethin’ predictable. like, ‘nice dress, bet it’d even look better on my floor’. right?”

“If you ever said something that cheesy and rehearsed, I would deck you.” You snorted with laughter and approached him, running your finger underneath his tie so you could pull it toward you. He accepted the kiss with a grin, though it was short, and the both of you headed out to the bedroom.

“ARE YOU TWO READY YET? WE NEED TO GET DOWN TO THE GARDENS.”

“yep. s’go, bro.”

“WAIT.” Papyrus shoved his brother to the side and drank in your appearance, his eyesockets growing sparkly. He put his hands up to his chin. “WOWIE!!! YOU LOOK INCREDIBLE! IS THAT THE DRESS YOU TALKED ABOUT? YES. IT SUITS YOU WELL. YOU LOOK LIKE HOW SUGAR TASTES. AM I RAMBLING? I FEEL LIKE I AM BUT I CAN’T SEEM TO STOP. I THINK I NEED TO TOUCH IT.”

You giggled as he lifted you up off the ground, swinging you around the room before setting you down. Sans looked like he was having a good time at your interaction, especially with how hard Papyrus was blushing. The younger of the skelebros was now on a full-blown rant about how he was the luckiest monster at the wedding, that he was never going to be able to take his eyes off you, and how you two were going to be the stars of the dancefloor.

“C’mon, let’s go!”

The elevator was packed with other guests that were staying on the same floor as you. It looked like you were right on time. The actual ceremony was being held in the field of flowers that the hotel was renowned for. You stood with both of your dates, halfway listening to the conversations around you as everyone shifted excitedly from foot to foot. Papyrus kept reaching for your hand to hold it, but you were separated by the shifting crowd and the jerky stops of the elevator.

You waited for everyone else to file out. You weren’t actually sure where you were going, so you were content to follow instead of lead. But as soon as you exited the front doors of the hotel, you were swept up in the sweet aroma of the flowers.

You took a small path that extended beyond the main building. It was easy to walk on in heels, which you were grateful for. Papyrus was extremely mindful of where you were putting your feet down anyway, steadying you with a hand on your waist when he thought you were going to topple over. And Sans flanked you to the side so no one could push past you and knock you over.

You couldn’t take your eyes off all of the decorations for the wedding. At the very beginning of the path was a giant sign pointing you in the right direction, an old photo of Alphys and Undyne together that people could sign if they wanted. It was a neat way for people to register as guests and let them know that they were here. You stopped for just a few seconds to write them an encouraging message, Papyrus doodling himself giving them a thumbs up, and Sans simply scribbling his name underneath.

Cobblestone turned to soft grass and you had a harder time maneuvering around. Papyrus guided you through the spots that were less likely to swallow your shoes up in damp grass. Sans found your spots near the front, but you and Papyrus had to be up at the stage because you were their maid and man of honor.

The setup wasn’t like your typical human wedding. It was set up more like a theater. There were long rows of seats put together with extravagant chairs that looked downright cozy. People could get into their spots from either side, but the crowd wasn’t split into two. It made it so that people from both sides of their family and friends could mingle together and face them without feeling quite so divided.

You and Papyrus took your spots on either side of the podium. Toriel was the one officiating, and she’d never looked happier. Her kids were down on the main level, handing out brochures and greeting anyone that walked by. You’d never seen them so well-behaved, but she looked downright touched that they were involved.

Everything about this was wonderful. The way that you were surrounded by a sea of roses that twinkled with morning dew. The way that the sunlight streamed down on the platform that you stood on, the arch decorated with more flowers, standing bright and tall over the captivated audience. 

Despite everyone’s eyes on you, you were more than happy to be here. A sea of monsters and humans all attending together, absolutely zero hostility or tension between them as they gathered to witness a union between two amazing people.

“Glad you could make it, darlings! What a wonderful crowd!”

Oh. Was that a...microphone? You hadn’t seen any speakers around. You blinked and tried to find the source of the noise, only to see the middle of the stage lift up and fog seep around you.

A murmur went across the guests and you caught wind of a name you never thought you’d hear: Mettaton.

“Thank you all for attending the wedding of the incredible Dr. Alphys! Let’s give her a round of applause!”

The monsters immediately hooted and slapped any limbs they had together. Humans joined in, a lot of them realizing just who it was.

“Ooooh, there we are! I can see you!” Mettaton rolled out from his dramatic entrance, bouncing on his wheel and waving a gloved hand at his now enraptured audience.  “Look at all these beauties. Waiting so patiently for the extravaganza we’re about to put on! I hope you’re all ready to be entertained by an MTT-brand performance!”

What. Was. Happening.

You thought that maybe things would differ a little from human weddings. But you still expected some kind of ritual where the girls came out and recited their vows while Toriel gave her blessing. For the life of you, you didn’t expect a shower of rose petals from the top of the stage as Mettaton underwent a costume change. His entire boxy body was enshrouded in a fancy shirt and gloves, an obviously fake sword gripped in his hand.

“Only a select few are given the honor and privilege to wear the seal. I am one of them. A handsome and powerful duelist, I have been the one to claim the Rose Bride for myself!”

Oh god. This wasn’t real. You watched in disbelief as Mettaton continued with his lengthy monologue. With every precise enunciation of his words, Alphys’s shadow from the center of the stage became more visible. The dust faded away as she stood in the center, facing the crowd with a completely stoic expression on her face.

A red dress. The sweeping ball gown that dragged along the ground, green and gold trim, with a tiara nestled along her head. She had a single rose in her hand and walked over to place it on Mettaton’s lapel, looking downright apathetic with his presence.

Napstablook faded into view, posed at a station with their records and sound effects behind the curtain. They pressed a button and you heard the slam of a door all around you.

“Think again!”

Undyne dropped down from nowhere, appearing in the blink of an eye, sending a ripple of excitement through the crowd. She landed hard on one knee, gazing up at Alphys, the both of them locking eyes and trying not to grin at each other madly. Undyne drew herself up and let her sword hang at her side. She was fitted in a uniform, of all things. A black jacket with gold buttons and a short, pleated red skirt that gave her the ability to move freely.

“I’ve seen the way that you treat Alphys and I’m tired of it! I challenge you to a duel! Whoever wins gets the Rose Bride to themselves!”

“And the loser?” Mettaton boomed, twirling the weapon in his tight grip.

“An honorable death at the hands of the victor!”

This was so cheesy. You couldn’t believe it. They were putting on a show. Literally. Those things the kids were handing out were programs. With a detailed description of the play. So this was why Alphys wanted a red wedding dress? And why they wanted to have the wedding in a rose garden? You didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Still, you found yourself drawn to their performance. Undyne in particular was so well-versed in the art of the sword that she didn’t look like she was acting at all. There was passion in her steps. Her swings. The way that she seemed to dance around in their combative display, twisting and dodging each other like this really was something that had their life on the line.

At the final moment, the both of them charged at each other. Trying to slash away the roses pinned to the other’s lapel by Alphys herself. Mettaton let out a loud cackle of glee as they passed each other, both pausing just moments afterward to see the results of their attack.

The audience sucked in a breath.

Mettaton’s flower crumbled in half. Undyne’s stood untouched.

They went wild.

Another shower of rose petals. An indescribable amount of warmth that swallowed you up and relaxed all of your nerves. Their magic melded together in front of you, the bright white glow of their SOULs as they laughed together, holding each other close.

It wasn’t anything that you could see. And even if there was, it didn’t have the same feeling like it was when you and Papyrus shared SOULs. Or even when Ro used your SOUL beat for their own amusement. What occurred between them was so on another plane of existence and understanding that you found yourself tearing up at the exchange.

You couldn’t understand what their SOULs were saying to each other – mostly because hearing them was still a very new thing with you – but you knew that it was words of devotion. Confessions and compliments and promises that everything they shared would only build on their relationship for as long as they both agreed. Giving permission to you to take a peek at something that words couldn’t touch, their bond on full display and all of the overwhelming sensations just a fraction of what they’d actually shared with each other.

Toriel beamed at them and conjured her magic. You’d only seen it a couple of times, but she was incredibly talented at controlling it. It looked...different from usual. Green-ish.

She made a motion for you and Papyrus to step close, the both of you finding it hard to tear your eyes away from each other. Alphys reached her hand out to you and Undyne went for Papyrus, all four of you linked as the cool rush of magic washed over you. You felt an electric jolt through your joined hands, your SOUL stuttering in your chest, tickling against your skin, bringing a smile to your face as their excess energy sloughed off onto you.

Oooh, it felt like static. You stepped away and Papyrus did the same.

Undyne and Alphys were both glowing. Undyne bent down and put both hands on Alphys’s face, drawing her in a kiss that spoke volumes about just how much they cared about each other. Magic pulsing and humming along in a song that was so faint that you almost didn’t catch it. Bells in their heads, similar to ones that would be ringing if they were doing this in a church, and a slow drum that was comparable to their steady heartbeat.

“Don’t be shy, darlings! Show them how happy we are for them!”

Thunderous applause. Both of them broke apart and stood together, the joy on their faces contagious. You spotted Sans in the crowd and blew him a kiss to fluster him, only to have him pretend to catch it with a wink. Papyrus laughed boisterously as Undyne and Alphys went for round two, the both of them not shy at all given that this was something that they’d bothered to throw to celebrate in a more human sense, eccentricities and all.

Toriel took this moment to share a few words.

“Thank you all for coming. Undyne and Alphys wanted to share their bond with you. Monster bonding is...something that we all know about, but rarely talk about. Since our venture to the surface, we have been so busy trying to acclimate that sometimes we can forget about what is most important. Friends, family, and in their case, lovers. We hope that the discussion will be something that humans learn more about, and something we can use as common ground between our species.”

That was...surprisingly well thought out. You didn’t think that either of the brides were interested in making a political statement. You knew that bonding wasn’t exactly a secretive practice between monsters, but it was something sacred. Enough that a lot of them preferred to be forward in showing their physical affection for each other, not a discussion of their SOULs. You were happy that the two of them decided to make it a focal point so humans could be more critical of relationships between them, and how it wasn’t right or wrong for you to express your love in different ways.

With that, the ceremony came to an end. Alphys and Undyne hopped down from the stage and approached the massive crowds for pictures and congratulations, the kids having a hell of a lot of fun in tossing flower petals at them from their handmade baskets. 

At one point, Alphys saw that one had lodged itself in Undyne’s hair, and plucked it from the strands to toss to the ground. Undyne lifted her up and they broke out into simultaneous laughter, pressing their foreheads together and the latter wrapping her arms around her wife’s neck.

You met Papyrus and Sans off to the side, still feeling your lips tingle from the magic they shared with you. “So, what was the point of that? Holding hands and stuff?”

“OH! WELL, TORIEL WAS SHOWING THAT THEIR SOULS WERE BONDED BY CHARGING HER OWN MAGIC INTO THEM. IT WAS A BIT DIFFICULT TO SEE, BUT IT CREATED A SINGLE HALO AROUND THE TWO OF THEM INSTEAD OF TWO! THE MAGIC NEEDED AN EXIT, THOUGH, OR ELSE THEY WOULD’VE BEEN HOLDING IT FOR LONGER THAN WOULD’VE BEEN COMFORTABLE FOR THE DEMONSTRATION. SO THEY PASSED IT TO US BECAUSE WE AREN’T CONNECTED, AND IT FADED NATURALLY SINCE OUR SOULS COULD PROCESS IT SEPARATELY.”

Huh. “That’s pretty cool, actually. Really unique. Why healing magic?”

“IT’S NOT...NECESSARILY THE WEAKEST KIND OF MAGIC, BUT IT IS THE LEAST...STRENUOUS? IT’S A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN.” He rubbed his skull nervously. “SORRY.”

“No, it makes sense. Monsters are all about good intentions. Green magic seems like it would be the easiest to consume.”

“EXACTLY. WELL, IN SOME CASES. A FEW MONSTERS HAVE ADAPTED SO THAT THEY MAKE IT PURPOSEFULLY DIFFICULT, BUT THAT IS MOSTLY FOR SELF-DEFENSE. LIKE WOSHUA.” He hummed. “ANYWAY, IT WAS A LOT OF FUN!!! I CAN’T BELIEVE THEY DID A PERFORMANCE.”

“Right?! They had that secret forever!”

“didja have fun watching mtt perform, bro?”

“OH MY GOD. IT WAS AMAZING? I HAD NO IDEA HE WOULD MAKE AN APPEARANCE HIMSELF! I THINK I UNDERSTAND NOW WHY UNDYNE SAID THERE WOULD BE GREAT ENTERTAINMENT.”

With the ceremony over, it was time for the reception. Lots of people went back to their rooms to change and freshen up, but you were still totally okay with what you were wearing and how you looked.

The party was being held in a large gazebo just off from the wedding site in the rose garden. It was open and free, the dancefloor already a work in progress as Napstablook set up their equipment. The caterers and monsters bringing in food were quick fill the long tables decorated with even more rose petals.

“Ah, Toriel!”

“Are you busy?”

“Nope! What’s up?”

“I just need to put down a few more of these napkins around the tables.”

“Count me in.”

Papyrus and Sans were caught up in discussing the wedding with a few monsters they knew, the both of them engaged in the conversations so they didn’t have to worry too much about what you were doing.

When every table was set up, an unfamiliar girl marched up to you with a microphone in her hand and a guy trailing behind her with a camera hoisted on his shoulder.

“Hi there! Would you mind answering a few questions about the wedding?”

“Oh. Okay, sure.”

“We’re live in five...”

“W-wait. Live?!”

“Four...”

“Um, excuse me...”

“Three. Two.” She went silent for the last second and beamed at the camera. “Good afternoon, everyone! This is Raja with Channel 104 News. Today marks a very special occasion: the highly-anticipated wedding of world-renowned scientist Dr. Alphys and her longtime girlfriend Undyne, founder of a rehabilitation program for at-risk youth. You were named their maid of honor. Being a human, what are your comments regarding the wedding?”

You stared into the lens of the camera. Face flushed. “I-I thought it was incredible. I went into it not knowing what to expect, and I was pleasantly surprised. Undyne and Alphys have known me since we lived Underground, so to see them blossom into the two people I saw today...it was amazing.”

“Oh, so you must be the Queen’s former assistant? Your combined efforts brought the monsters to freedom.”

“I...don’t think it was really something I did,” you admitted. “Toriel’s children were the ones that really came together and made it happen.”

“So modest.” She clicked her tongue. “Do you have anything you’d like to say to the brides?”

“Undyne, Alphys. I’m so happy for you. Thanks for including me in this entire thing and...I can’t wait to see you guys live the rest of your lives with each other.”

“Thank you. Can we get a shot of you and date together?”

“Sans! Papyrus!”

Both monsters headed over with grins on their faces. The reporter seemed a little surprised, but the giddiness came full force. “Oh. You guys are _so_ cute together.”

“Thanks.”

“IS THIS GOING TO BE IN THE NEWS?”

“You can be on it! Mettaton wouldn’t let this slip by when he wanted full coverage of the event!” She gave the signal and the picture was saved to memory.

Things were so casual. There was no dinner filled with long, boring speeches and a dinner that would give anyone anxiety. It was serve and go as you pleased. The buffet was open. People talked and stood together at all angles of the room. There were tables and chairs everywhere, placecards not included, so people had a chance to mingle without worrying about if they were in the “right” place.

The only thing that stood at the head of the room was the band. Mettaton’s band, to be exact. Him, Napstablook and Shyren, the three of them coming together in a harmonious melody that rocked the entire room. Monsters and humans alike marched to the space in front of them, already getting into the groove and dancing while balloons bounced against the ceiling.

“Is that a photobooth?!”

“heh. yeah.”

“We’re going before we leave.”

“ok.”

“Yay!”

Turned out that you and the skelebros went right after you ate. With your stomachs full of food and you still in a high mood, the three of you sat down and dressed up in various costumes and wigs. Papyrus couldn’t stop laughing, he was really digging the quicktime camera. You made the silliest expressions you could, acted sultry, pouted, kissed the both of them. And the machine just kept printing out stickers for the three of you, all of it funded by the generous donations of the guests.

You stepped out just as the band started up their new song.

And then the familiar voice shook you to your core.

All of your happiness ebbed away when you recognized who it was. Heart dropping into your stomach. Your SOUL twitched and shuddered beneath your chest, an icy cold rush slipping into your veins and swimming through your head.

“Ro...”

Monsters were enamored with them. They couldn’t stop screaming their name. You felt sick at how much attention they were getting. Mettaton threw out merchandise with their face on it, albums for sale to fund their next big tour.

“what the hell is he doin’ here?”

“WHAT? WHO?” Papyrus stepped out from the booth after taking one more glamour shot on his own, the hat and wig still on his head. He tore it off once he realized who Sans was talking about. “WHY. IS HE. HERE.”

“I-I don’t know,” you admitted, taking a large step back. “Um. I think I need the bathroom.”

This was not how this night was supposed to go. You were planning on spending the whole night laughing and getting yourself tipsy enough to go out and dance. Not see the face of someone that still gave you stomachaches when you thought about your last real encounter alone.

You burst through the bathroom doors and headed into the stall. Nothing dramatic happened – you didn’t throw up or start bursting into tears. But you did plop yourself down on the toilet and rake your hands through your hair, pulling at it just hard enough to sting and bring you back to reality so you wouldn’t lose yourself in the negative thoughts.

“H-hey, what’s wrong?” A gentle knock on the door. Alphys and Undyne were both on the other side, but the more outspoken of the two held her tongue and paced instead. You pictured their expressions and couldn’t take that you’d caused them distress on their own wedding day.

“Ro is out there.”

The entire atmosphere shifted. Before you knew it, Undyne had broken down the door with a powerful kick that shattered the entire slab of wood that separated you.

“Are you SERIOUS?! WHO invited them!?!”

“I-I didn’t!”

“I know YOU didn’t, babe! You hate their guts as much as I DO!”

“Toriel and I never sent out an invitation to them!”

“Well they’re here! And I’m not gonna let them STICK AROUND!”

You didn’t like the sound of this. Undyne tore out of the room, Alphys shouting after her, as the both of you scrambled to make sure she didn’t do anything stupid.

Too late.

In the midst of the song, with Ro belting out lyrics on their microphone, Undyne stepped up to the plate and pushed her way through the ever-growing crowd. Once Mettaton caught sight of her foul mood, he immediately rushed over to stop the rest of the band. Ro didn’t seem to catch the hint, continuing to go on and their SOUL creating a beat for them.

You and Alphys tried to get her attention, waving your arms and yelling her name. She ignored you.

Undyne grinned maniacally. She drew her finger across her throat and in a blink of an eye, her spear materialized in her hand with a deep, rumbling whir. She got into stance and called out their name, gaining their attention just as she chucked the weapon at them full force.

“STOP!”

Something seared inside of you when seeing them stand off against each other. Ro defended themselves after being pummeled in the chest and arms from her spears, the crowd going deathly silent at their exchange. They picked themselves up after getting knocked back from a direct hit, chest heaving and expression filled with pain and regret. Confusion. They had no idea what was going on, but Undyne didn’t care in the slightest.

Ro sent out musical notes in order to combat against her, but she was so much stronger than them. She could take the hits without flinching, whereas every one of her spears hitting them right in their body caused them to lose health. It was brutal. You found yourself screaming internally as she landed attack after attack, the level of violence escalating with every small victory she took from tearing down their defenses.

“UNDYNE!”

Papyrus ran over and turned you to face him. “WHAT IS...HAPPENING HERE???”

“Please, stop her! She’s beating the shit out of them! No one’s doing anything!”

“BUT THEY HURT YOU.”

“Paps! You know this is wrong! You were part of the Royal Guard! You can’t let this go so far!”

His browbone furrowed. He looked so lost. “I...I DO NOT WANT ANYBODY TO DO A VIOLENCE. BUT IT WASN’T RIGHT AND...I WANT THEM TO...I WANT...”

“Please. Please don’t let her any more.”

He took one more look at your face and he nodded. Papyrus summoned his own bones and marched toward the two, stepping between Undyne’s massive burst of arrows and Ro’s feeble attempts to avoid her onslaught. Papyrus didn’t even flinch when he took the brunt of both magical attacks. He shouldered them despite the pain and sent both of them into panic mode, the energy of their fight waning as they realized what happened.

“MOVE, Papyrus!!! This asshole DESERVES it!”

“I KNOW. BUT LOOK AT HER, UNDYNE. THIS IS NOT WHAT SHE WANTS. AND...NEITHER DO I.”

“You’re a LIAR! You told me all ABOUT how you wanted to HURT them for what happened! They’re a SICKO and don’t deserve mercy!”

The entire place was somber. Everyone else seemed confused about what was going on. Papyrus held his ground, standing up to her, defending Ro just long enough that she faltered just the slightest.

“I want them OUT of here. NOW. Get their STUPID FUCKING FACE OUT OF MY WEDDING!!!”

Papyrus grabbed Ro’s arm and led them out of the crowd. People watched them go and whispered amongst themselves. Undyne waited until they disappeared out the door before turning to everyone grimly.

“Sorry about that, everyone. Guess I got a little...HEATED.” She exhaled noisily. “Enjoy the rest of the night.”

Alphys took her hand and led her out of the watchful eyes of everyone else. A moment of reprieve so her wife could calm down and collect herself.

“What did Ro do to the human?”

“Is this about the bonding?”

“You don’t think...”

“Oh my god.”

“Was it?”

“A harvester, really?”

The gossip started before you could stop it from spreading. It made you a little relieved to know that once it started that the other monsters took your side and spit on Ro’s name. At the same time, it was a little invasive that so many strangers got the gist of what happened.

You ventured out and found Papyrus. He leaned against the wall outside the door in deep thought, the uncharacteristic frown on his face making your stomach twist.

“Paps...”

“THEY WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK WITH YOU, I THINK. BUT I AM NOT SURE...IF IT IS A GOOD IDEA. I WILL RESPECT YOUR DECISION, OF COURSE! BECAUSE I LOVE YOU. BUT AT THE SAME TIME...”

You nodded and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

You heard distant, rumbling laughter from inside the venue. Sans had picked up the microphone while Mettaton and his band went to have a chat with Alphys about the incident. They must not have known about the bad blood between their newest member and the bride. Now your boyfriend was doing his best to bring the mood back up, cracking jokes that had even the grumpiest of guests chuckling. You would have to thank him for that later.

Ro didn’t look so hot. They were beat. Literally and figuratively. You eyed them for a moment, disgusted with their self-pity, but forced yourself to go ahead anyway.

“Why are you here?” you asked, keeping your distance.

They frowned. “I’m in Mettaton’s band. They said this would be our biggest gig yet. Why...why did Undyne attack me?”

“She’s pissed off at you for what you did to me.”

“What did I ever do?”

“Are you _kidding_ me, Ro? Don’t play innocent! You sat there on stage, manipulated my SOUL beat, bonded with me on stage, and then used that controversial fame to climb to the top! I’d heard that you were getting offers for bigger things, but this? This is so fucked up!”

“You...”

“I never _asked_ for you to do that, you know. I never outright said that it was okay. You just grabbed me and forced me into it despite my protests, then you just...you profited from it! While I had to deal with the backlash and embarrassment!”

“I--”

“You know what you are, don’t you? There’s a name for it. You’re a harvester. You use people and then wonder why they want to beat you into paste? We were friends! I liked you and trusted you! Then you used me just to push forward in your career without even checking to see if I was okay with it!”

You weren’t sure what it was about seeing them so miserable, but it only spurred you on. You didn’t let up. You yelled at them for as long as you needed to. Months of pent-up feelings finally having a chance to be released. And you didn’t care if they were confused and downtrodden at your accusations. They needed to know that their way of doing things didn’t fly. How they were raised didn’t excuse the way that they took advantage of you.

By the end of it, you had teared up a little bit. You still felt sick. But you relished the way they stepped backwards, their SOUL in obvious pain.

“I’m sorry.”

“I don’t _need_ your apology, Ro. It doesn’t mean anything to me. You can’t take back what you did. But you can learn from this and grow the fuck up. If not, then maybe next time I won’t find the strength to stop Undyne from tearing you limb from limb.”

You came back in the room and Sans got himself a standing ovation. Monsters crying from how hilarious he was, howling with laughter and holding each other up to stay on their feet. He winked and signed off, hopping down from the raised floor so he could greet you.

“hey.”

“Hey.”

“you, uh...figure things out?”

“I don’t know.” You blinked. “Are you okay?”

“nah. kind of...overwhelming earlier.”

Wow. He was being honest with you. That took a lot out of him. “Let’s, um. Get some water and chat.”

You went off into a quiet room where the kids were playing. Toriel watched you with a smile when she realized you came in together, pausing in her conversation with Grillby to wave a paw. She had no idea what just went on outside. Or maybe she did and chose to ignore it because she knew you had to handle it yourselves.

Whatever the case, you and Sans had a moment alone.

“kind of...intense out there.”

“I know. I didn’t think Undyne would go off like that. I can’t...I can’t believe it. I ruined their wedding.” You started to sob.

“you didn’t do anythin’. stop.”

“But it’s my fault that they showed up and if they hadn’t--”

“babe. i'm only gonna tell you this one more time for the rest of your life: they were the ones that did it. it’s got nothin’ to do with you. i'm...more worried about you. how...you must’ve felt, seein’ them.”

“I didn’t even think it was a big deal until I saw how happy everyone was, you know?”

“yeah.” He reached down for your hand and stroked it absentmindedly. “hey, wanna guess what my SOUL is sayin’?”

“I love you.”

“heh. you got it.”

You cleaned yourself up and rejoined the party. Everyone seemed to recover from the incident, so you would, too. You couldn’t linger on them any more. And if they decided to cross paths with you again, you would deal with it. But right now, you had a party to attend.

Alphys and Eva stood together off to the side and giggled when they saw you.

“What?”

“O-oh, nothing. J-just wondering how you and Sans have been working together. H-have you two been...I don’t know, on better s-speaking terms?”

You squinted. Through the strobe lights and heavy bass, it was a little hard to discern whether her smug expression was genuine. “Wait a second. How did you know about that?”

“Aha! I-I knew it!” She cackled. “Eva, y-you’ve done it again!”

“Wait, what’s going on?”

Eva smiled at you warmly. *I’m actually a special kind of translator for human and monster leadership conferences. Phylogeny is just something I do for fun! But I specialize in opening channels of communication between humans and their SOULs. Kind of like...tapping into hidden potential and opening you up to receiving messages from monsters. Alphys asked me to spend time with you so I might unlock your ability to hear and interpret SOULs. You weren’t as difficult as she thought it would be.

“S-sorry, but when you went to Toriel asking about SOULs, she relayed the message to me. I wanted you to be able to share that with Sans.”

“Aly.”

“Y-yes?”

“I love you.”

“Hahaha! S-stop! I’m ticklish in this dress!”

Day turned to night and you were still partying. You wandered around the dancefloor, trying to find either of your boyfriends, but none of them were around. They might have gone to talk about what happened earlier. 

Oh well. You busied yourself with cornering Toriel. The both of you gossiped about potential couples in the crowd. About your favorite dresses and tuxes of guests that walked past you. Everything and nothing, the two of you continuing to sip away at your drinks and giggle on about the world around you.

In a haze, you finally found yourself tapping Papyrus on the shoulder. He was dancing with Daury, the little monster girl standing on his feet as he led them around. He took one look at you and politely asked her if you could have a turn. She reluctantly agreed.

You put your arms around him as he led you past people from all walks of life. Twirling you and dipping you down low to the ground, his grip on you just tight enough that you trusted him not to drop you. You traversed through the crowd and blocked everything else out. Gazing at each other pointedly, losing yourselves in each other, the gentle thrum of your SOULs finally coming together in a synchronous beat.

Your time at the ice rink wouldn’t have prepared you for this. Not when you saw your reflection in his eyes, a purple flare that seeped from your chest and mingled with him. Magic invading your senses and forcing you even closer with a half-lidded gaze and parted lips. All thoughts of your discomfort with touch faded away when he did just that, stroking you and holding you and kissing you, ignoring the giggles and whispers of the others around you.

When you thought about falling in love, as a kid, you sort of had this idea that it would be a fairytale thing. That you would go into it knowing that this person cared for you and you would be together forever. That mindset wasn’t realistic and really took a lot of work to get there. Patience. Love. Perseverance. You were happy to know that the person that loved you this much was going to stay here with you, lead you with sweeping steps, and support you in every sense of the word.

He handed you off to Sans and you let out a surprised laugh, the tempo changing.

With Papyrus it was graceful and long, complex moves that reflected his incredible talent at anything to do with the arts.

Sans, though, was all about science. Logic and numbers, deduction and formulas. He was less worried about making a show, focusing instead on practiced steps that wouldn’t fail in terms of keeping you close. He took a chance every now and then – what kind of scientist didn’t? – but he did it with a calculated risk born of probabilities and past successes. Testing the waters and his hypotheses about what put that smile on your face or what landed him a nuzzle of affection, perfecting his craft until everything revolved around you and nothing more.

He knew all about chemical reactions and the math behind love. He knew that there were other factors you had to take in to make your relationship work. But he threw himself into the problem and searched for a solution that satisfied all parties, careful not to push his limits too much and risk losing all of his data.

SOULs were more complex than you understood. You had just touched the tip of the iceberg. But that was good. Because dating two monsters – with an infinitely different culture and way of thinking – required more than just a basic, surface-level of understanding. You wanted to know what you could do to adapt to their ways. They’d already sacrificed so much for you. If you could bring forth some effort in learning more about something that was this important to them, then you would do it in a heartbeat.

The party was still going on, but you were So Done. Your feet ached even though you’d taken off your heels about halfway through your dancing spree. You’d danced with everyone. Alphys, Undyne, Toriel, Grillby, Muffet, Aaron, Sans, Papyrus, somehow even Jerry even though you tried your best to make it so he wouldn’t show up. (And the entire time he complained about how you weren’t “doing it right” and nearly got cheesy stains all over your dress.)

It was so much stimulation in such a short amount of time that you broke away from the party, your head and body aching, knowing full well that you would pay for it in the morning.

“ready to go?”

Sans had his hand halfway in the pocket of his dress pants. He had loosened his tie and it hung uselessly around his neck, his dress shirt untucked and cheekbones flushed from the constant moving. Papyrus still looked impeccable as he said goodbye to everyone, not bothered at all with the long hours you’d just spent dancing up a storm.

“Mmhmm.”

“THE WEDDING WAS EXCELLENT. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT MUFFET DIDN’T EVEN CHARGE US FOR HER HORS D’OEUVRES!!! IF WE GET A BILL IN THE MAIL, WE SHOULD JUST MOVE. I AM AFRAID OF WHAT OUTRAGEOUS PRICE IT MIGHT BE, NO MATTER HOW DELICIOUS!”

“Did you have fun, Sans?”

“why _weddin’t i?”_

“THAT WAS AWFUL, EVEN FOR YOU.”

“Pffft.”

“look, she’s laughin’.”

“WELL THAT IS BECAUSE SHE LOVES YOU SO MUCH THAT SHE CAN’T STAND TO DISAPPOINT YOU WITH THE TRUTH.”

“ouch.”

“Okay, Papyrus, you make one to top his!”

“WHAT? WHY? WE SHOULD JUST EAT, DRINK, AND BE... _MARRY_.”

“Ahahaha!”

“heh heh heh. oh, wow.” He was grinning.

“DO YOU ADMIT DEFEAT?”

“guess so. you got me, bro. can’t believe we’re... _bonding_ like this.”

The rest of the walk to the hotel was like that. At one point, Papyrus had picked you up and put you on his back so you wouldn’t have to go barefoot or try to stuff your swollen feet into your shoes. Sans kept his pace alongside you, already tearing at his clothes so he could get them off as soon as you got into your room.

“I’m showering before bed.”

“GOOD IDEA!!! ME TOO! I-I MEAN, IN MY OWN SHOWER! NOT WITH YOU! N-NOT THAT I WOULDN’T WANT TO, BUT I RESPECT AND UNDERSTAND YOUR BOUNDARIES EVEN THOUGH I AM...VERY, VERY CURIOUS ABOUT THINGS!”

Oh, Papyrus. You stepped into the bathroom and left him hanging. Not enough energy to touch that conversation yet.

“i'm goin’ to bed.”

“IN YOUR SWEAT??? SANS.”

“s’gonna take too much effort otherwise.”

“I’M GOING TO THROW YOU IN THERE IF YOU CONTINUE TO LOLLYGAG.”

All three of you ended up scrubbed clean one way or another. You cuddled up to Papyrus and Sans cuddled up to you, the bed warm and toasty by the time you got settled.

“WE SHOULD GO TO ANOTHER WEDDING SOON.”

“heh.”

“NO MORE PUNS. I AM BEING SERIOUS. IT WAS FUN!!!”

“Mmmhmm.” You were already halfway asleep. “I’m sure someone’ll see this and want to have their own.”

“I AGREE.”

“snooooooore.”

“YOU SAID THAT OUT LOUD.”

You covered his mouth with a hand and kissed him on the ridge of his nasal bone. “Go to sleep, Paps. We can talk more in the morning.”

Sans squeezed your thigh and reached around to grip your stomach, enjoying a few gentle squishes before he dozed off.

You let your own mind shut down, thankful that you had the rest of the night to recover from such an incredible time.

**Author's Note:**

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> 
>  **question of the day** : what gift would you get undyne and alphys on their wedding day?


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